


cashing in my bad luck

by oswinry



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 20:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswinry/pseuds/oswinry
Summary: The Doctor and Bill, and a sunrise.Title taken from "Some Nights" by fun.





	cashing in my bad luck

The Doctor sits outside Bill’s door, resting his head against the solid material, and waits. His hearts are beating fast.

Technically he is not supposed to be away from the vault, especially today of all days, when he is about to flagrantly violate his oath. But he needs to speak with Bill, and he feels that if he waits much longer he will just run, run away with Missy and lose himself. So he waits, far away from the temptation of the vault and his beautiful time machine, and watches fingers of light slowly crawl across the sky.

He remembers the moment the first streak of dawn appeared on the horizon on Darillium, and the sudden knowledge that something irrevocable was coming, a death he couldn’t fight against. Now, he feels the opposite. There are terrifying stirrings of hope in his chest, a feeling he hasn’t experienced regarding Koschei for…well, not since the Time War. But it’s here, now, so strong he can hardly bear it.

A light flicks on inside the building. He hears Bill humming to herself, deep and solid, and feels a delighted grin tickling at the edges of his mouth. He suppresses it hastily, but it comes back. Ah, well, he thinks. Bill has brought out something new in this grim old face, a wonder at the universe he’d thought had been left behind with his last self. It’s good. There’s something to be said for new friendships, as well as millenia-old ones.

Bill, he senses, has not warmed up to Missy. May never warm up to her. He hopes Missy proves her wrong, but cannot quite be certain. Yet Bill, if he asks her to, will be certain. If he shows her how much he longs for Missy’s redemption — she will not refuse to come with them. He feels a pang. He has been so wrapped up in his old friend, so impatient for the future, that he has forgotten to be grateful for Bill.

The door opens behind him and he falls flat on his back with a startled grunt.

There’s a shriek behind him, and a burst of laughter. Bill’s.

He scowls up at her. “You should warn people before you open the door on them.”

“You shouldn’t be lurking outside their doors like some alien stalker.” Bill pauses. “Actually, you sort of are an alien stalker, aren’t you? You show up everywhere.”

He snorts. “Cheeky.”

“Always.“ But Bill sits down next to him on the doorstep, a tolerant expression on her face. “What’s so important you can’t wait for me to get to campus?”

He opens his mouth. Waits. Considers. “I have something important to say, Bill, but I can put it off for a bit. We have a pressing appointment.”

“Yeah? What’s that, then?”

“We need to watch the sun rise.”

“Really?”

He nods.

“Not the amazing twin suns of Tatooine or something? Just this sun?”

“The what? No, never mind. I’ll find out. Yes, this sun.”

Bill shrugs. “Fine by me. I have five minutes.”

They sit together and watch the morning haze burn away into clarity.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> You can also find me on [tumblr](https://actual-bill-potts.tumblr.com).


End file.
